Kunaal Sikka

Major props to Kunaal Sikka. This guy’s the real deal in the security and cloud infrastructure world. He’s a YC W25 alum, which already says a lot-getting into YC isn’t easy, so he’s clearly got chops. But what’s super interesting is his process-he didn’t just jump into startups out of nowhere. Kunaal’s been deep in the trenches of tech, especially security, for a while.

He was at Lyft as a Staff Engineer, working on security infrastructure at a massive scale-think millions of users, tons of data, crazy security problems. That’s where he co-created the open-source Cartography project, which is basically a mapping tool for infrastructure, helping teams visualize and manage their security setup. And get this, he donated that project to The Linux Foundation in 2024-showing he cares about the community, not just personal fame.

Before Lyft, he was at Anthropic, working on next-gen security systems and vulnerability management. That’s some advanced stuff, dealing with the toughest security problems out there. His whole career has been about building security tools that actually work for huge companies-no bullshit, just real solutions.

Fast forward, Kunaal teams up with his buddy Alex Chantavy, and they start SubImage. This isn’t just another security startup. They’re building infrastructure security for cloud and hybrid environments-stuff that’s super critical as more companies move to the cloud and need to protect their digital assets. Kunaal’s been in security long enough to know what the pain points are, and he’s jumped into solving them head-on.

What’s crazy is how consistent his focus has been: security, infrastructure, making tech safer and more manageable at scale. It’s like he’s on a mission to crush the bullshit and make security simple and works well. His experience proves he’s all about solving real-world problems, not just tinkering for the sake of it-he’s driven to change how companies protect themselves.

So, why does Kunaal matter? Because he’s one of those people who’s been there, done that, and keeps pushing the envelope. He’s somebody who doesn’t settle for the easy fix but instead builds tools and systems that actually solve the big security issues. His story is about relentless focus, deep expertise, and a genuine passion for making tech safer for everyone. No Cap-this guy’s the real deal.